Chapter 2 - The Origin of Men: the Birth of Daksha

1. Vaishampayana said:—When the work of his creation of progeny was complete the Patriarch Vashishtha obtained Shatarupa, not born of a woman, as his spouse.

2. While he resided covering the etherial region, he created Shatarupa, O monarch, by his greatness and Yoga power.

3. Having carried on rigid austerities for a million of years she obtained her husband of burning asceticism.

4. That Purusha, O my child, is called Swayambhuva Manu. His own Manvantara in this world consists of seventy-one Yugas.

5. The Universal Purusha begat on Shatarupa a son by name Veera who begat on Kamya two sons by name Pryavrata and Uttanapada.

6. Kamya, the daughter of the Patriarch Kardama, gave birth to four sons, O you of large arms, namely Samrat, Kukshi, Virat, and Prabhu. Obtaining Pryavrata as her husband she gave birth to them

7. The Patriarch Atri adopted Uttanapada as his son. Sunrita gave birth to four sons through Uttanapada.

8. The youthful daughter of Dharma was known as Sunrita. She originated from a horse sacrifice and that pure damsel was the mother of Dhruva.

9. The Patriarch Uttanapada begat on Sunrita, four sons by name, Dhruva, Kirtiman, Ayushman, and Vasu.

10. O descendant of Bharata, O monarch, with a view to obtain the great Brahman, Vishnu, Dhruva carried on hard austerities for three thousand celestial years.

11. Being propitiated the Patriarch Brahma conferred on him a permanent region, peerless on earth, in the front of the region of the seven Rishis.

12. Beholding his great prosperity and greatness the preceptor of the gods and demons, (Ushana) sang the following hymn. "

13. Oh, wonderful is his energy of asceticism, knowledge of scriptures and prowess, placing whom before them the seven Rishis are living".

14. From Dhruva were born Shlishthi, Bhavya and Shumbha. Shlishthi begat on Suchaya seven sinless sons.

15. They were Ripu, Ripunjaya, Pushpa, Vrikala and Vrikateja. Ripu begat on Vrihati, a son, gifted with all energies, by the name of Cakshusha.

16. The noble Cakshusha begat Muni on Pushkarini, a mother of heroes and the daughter of the Patriarch Aranya.

17. O foremost of Bharatas, Muni begat ten highly powerful sons on Nadvala, the daughter of the Patriarch Vairaj,

18. Uru, Puru, Shata dyumna, Tapasvi, Satyavan, Kavi, Agnistut and Atiratra; and Sudyumna was the ninth.

19. The tenth was Abhimanyu;these were the sons of Nadvala. Uru begat on Agneyi six highly powerful sons-Anga, Sumanas, Swati, Kratu, Angiras and Gaya.

20. Anga begat only one son on Sunitha, by name Vena. By the irregularities of Vena (the Rishis) were highly irritated.

21. For creating progeny the Rishis churned his right arm. When Vena’s right arm was churned by the ascetics, therefrom originated Prithu.

22. Seeing him the Rishis said in delight, "This highly powerful one will delight his subjects and will attain to fame".

23. As if burning all with his energy he took his birth with a bow and a coat of mail. Born first in the race of Kshatriyas, Vena’s son Prithu protected this earth.

24. That lord of the earth was the first born of those who are sprinkled with water at the Rajshuya sacrifices. For him were born Suta and Magadha, experts in singing the glories of kings.

25-26. O descendant of Bharata, to give livelihood to his subjects by him the earth was milched for corns in the company of the gods, Rishis, the ancestral manes, Danavas, Gandharvas, Apsaras, serpents, Guyakas, creepers and mountains.

27. When milched the earth gave wished-for milk in their respective vessels; by it they maintain their lives.

28. Two sons, conversant with religion, were born to Prithu, Antardhi and Palita. Antardhi begat Havirdhana on Shikhandin.

29. Havirdhana begat on Agneyidhishana six sons—Prachina varhis, Sukra, Gaya, Krishna, Vraja and Ajina.

30. Thus O monarch, Prachinavarhis, gifted with great spiritual power, was born of Havirdhana. He was a great Patriarch and multiplied the progeny.

31. O Janamejaya, the tips, of the Kusha grass in his sacrificial ground, were directed towards the east and they covered the entire earth. And therefore he was celebrated by the name of Prachinavarhis.

32-33. Having carried on great austerities that king espoused Savarna the daughter of the ocean, who gave birth to ten sons for Prachinavarhis who were all called Pracetas and had mastered the science of archery.

34. Observing the same religion and lying in the waters of the ocean they carried on great austerities for ten thousand years.

35. When the Pracetas were engaged in carrying on penances the trees covered the unprotected earth and so the creatures were being destroyed.

36. The wind could not blow and the sky was covered with trees. The creatures could set forth no exertion for ten thousand years.

37. Perceiving this and getting angry all those Pracetas, observant of rigid austerities, created air and fire from their mouths.

38. Having uprooted those trees the wind dried them up and the fire then burnt them up—thus their was a dreadful destruction of trees.

39. Informed of the destruction of trees and when a few plants still survived the king Soma, approaching the Patriarchs, said. "

40. O You kings of the family of Prachinavarhis, do you control your anger. The earth is shorn of trees and so let fire and air be pacified.

41. This beautiful daughter of the trees is like a jewel. Knowing the future I begat her.

42. This girl is called Marisha and is created for the trees. Let this great one, multiplying the race of Soma, be your wife.

43. By the half of your energy and that of mine, your son, the Patriarch Daksha will be born of her.

44. That one, effulgent like fire, will multiply the creation well-nigh destroyed by your fire-like energy".

45. Thereupon in accordance with the words of Soma restraining their anger against the trees the Pracetas duly married Marisha.

46. Then they all mentally thought of conception in Marisha. O Bharata, the Patriarch Daksha was born of Marisha through the tenth Pracetas with a portion of Soma’s energy.

47. Then to multiply the race of Soma he created various offspring, mobile, immobile, two legged and four legged sons. Having created mentally first the sons Daksha created his daughters.

48. Of them Dharma espoused ten and Kagyapa thirteen. The Lord Daksha then conferred on the king Soma the remaining ones called Nakshatras or planets,

49. They gave birth to gods, sky-rangers, cows, Nagas, Danavas, Gandharvas, Apsaras and various other beings.

50. Since then, O king, creatures are being engendered by sexual intercourse. Their predecessors were created by (mere) thinking, seeing and touching.

51. Janemejaya said:—You had described before the birth of the gods, demons, Gandharvas, serpents and Rakshasas as well as that of the high-souled Daksha.

52. O sinless one, you have said that Daksha sprang from the right thumb of Brahma and his wife from the left. How could they then enter into a matrimonial alliance?

53. How could the great ascetic Daksha attain to the energy of Pracetas? Being a grand-son of Soma how could he become his father-in-law? I have grave doubts in this, O Vipra, it behoves you to remove them.

54. Vaishampayana said:—Origin and destruction are always present in the elemental creation. The Rishis and the wise are not bewildered at it.

55. O king, the Dakshas are born in every yuga. There is one Daksha in one yuga and another in another. The learned make no mistakes in it.

56. O king, there was formerly no priority of birth among them—they were considered elder by asceticism and their prowess was the cause thereof.

57. He, who knows the mobile and immobile creation of Daksha, gets offspring and when the lease of his life runs out is worshipped in the celestial region.